Why 'Twin Peaks: The Return' is More Than Just Your Average Cup of Coffee

So last weekend after a lot of patient waiting, we were finally blessed with the return of David Lynch and Mark Frosts cult television show Twin Peaks. I've talked a lot about Twin Peaks and its imminent return on my blog and naturally I was incredibly excited, ecstatic even, it's all I spoke about for the entirety of last weekend. It's evident that myself and fellow Twin Peaks fans across the globe were dying to return to this world of mystery, murder, and damn fine coffee. So far we have been treated with four new episodes of Twin Peaks that I took upon myself to binge watch last weekend, and I must say, it's a lot different to what we were all expecting. Not that this is a bad thing, in fact I'm quite pleased with the ambitious new direction the show is taking, however it is clear now that the new series will separate the Twin Peaks fans from the David Lynch fans, and the intersection is smaller than you may think. WARNING: spoilers for those who have not seen episodes 1-4 of Twin Peaks: The Return.

First of all, the biggest difference between The Return is the scale. The original series took place predominantly in the eponymous town, sometimes veering off over the Canadian border or to the nearby town of Deer Meadow in the case of Fire Walk With Me. However, the new season takes place on a much wider scale in areas such as New York, Nevada, and South Dakota. In fact, we have spent very little time in Twin Peaks itself over the course of these four episodes which may seem strange considering..well, the fact that the show is called Twin Peaks. While we do catch glimpses of what's going on in the town during the course of these four episodes, a lot of the time is spent elsewhere following seemingly related storylines. In New York, we meet a young man tasked with watching a mysterious glass box, while in South Dakota, a grizzly murder leads to the arrest of a seemingly oblivious high school principal (played by Matthew Lillard). It seems that Lynch is doing his best to frustrate us, to tease us even further after keeping us waiting so long. Along with spending a large portion of these episodes outside of Twin Peaks, Lynch also slows the pacing waaay down, to a level that can only be described as torturous. Patience is the key to watching the new series of Twin Peaks and is necessary to follow and enjoy the events that are unfolding on the show.

The fact that we spend so much time of these 4 episodes outside Twin Peaks means when we do finally catch glimpses of the titular town, it's a lot more satisfying. There were so many 'oh, look who it is!' and 'wow, look at how they've changed!' moments over the course of these episodes and it was a real pleasure catching up with some of these characters after all these years. Christ, I was even happy to see James Hurley (James Marshall), one of the shows most unbearable characters! Most of the time spent in Twin Peaks is set at the Sheriff's station where Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) tries to unravel a cryptic message from the Log Lady (Catherine Coulson, in a heartbreaking appearance) regarding Agent Cooper. Here, we get a sense of familiarity, like reuniting with an old friend from years ago, and it's these moments that we cherish the most in the revival. We see the return of many other familiar faces such as Ben Horne (Richard Beymer) who is alive and well after that bang on the head at the end of season 2, and Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook) who is now a Sheriff's Deputy! There are still a lot of old characters that we are yet to be reunited with and a lot of plot points yet to be resolved. However, it's clear that with each new episode, more time is spent in the town of Twin Peaks. It's a gradual return to the world we all know and love, but with each episode there is a greater sense of familiarity, ensuring us that sooner or later down the line, the town will undoubtedly feature much more heavily.

The biggest difference between The Return and the original series is that David Lynch now has complete creative freedom on the show. As Lynch is known for his uniquely surrealist style, it is not a surprise that the new series is a completely unrelenting Lynchian nightmare. While that sense of surrealism didn't feature too heavily in the original series, it is completely let loose in the revival. It feels more like an amalgamation of all of Lynches work as opposed to being solely Twin Peaks, with many moments feeling reminiscent of other works within his filmography. The South Dakota subplot that follows Matthew Lillard's character feels very Lost Highway, while Agent Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) odyssey through the Black Lodge feels a lot like Eraserhead. It's clear that Lynch is borrowing from some of his other works for the revival. He has done away with the shows old campy, soap-opera-parodying ways and has opted for a much more darker tone. Despite this, the show does retain its signature sense of humour and has some scenes that truly left me in stitches (look out for 'Mr. Jackpots' and Wally Brando). While the drastic shift in tone does work very well, one thing I can't help but miss is Angelo Badalamenti's unforgettable score from the original series. While we are treated to small snippets here and there, the absence of the score can be felt deeply, especially in some of the more comedic scenes.

Of course, the burning question asked by many fans after the original series ended was what happened to Agent Dale Cooper? When we left him at the end of season 2 he had been possessed by the malevolent spirit BOB after seemingly escaping from the Black Lodge, leaving many fans shocked and let down. Thankfully, while we don't spend a lot of times in the town of Twin Peaks, we do spend the majority of these four episodes with Cooper himself, or rather themselves. The good, coffee-loving Cooper who we all know and love has been trapped in the mysterious Black Lodge for the past 25 years, along with MIKE (Al Strobel), and the man from another place (who is now a giant nerve). Meanwhile the evil Cooper has been out in the real world, keeping a low profile and doing evil things while looking like Tommy Wiseau. Their respective journeys are equally bizarre and are enthralling to watch. Good Cooper's journey out of the Black Lodge is a truly mind-bending experience pulled from the darkest corners of Lynches mind, while bad Cooper's mysterious motives are just one of many enigmas wrapped within the new series. These two are both on their own individual paths that will undoubtedly converge at some point down the line, we can only imagine what will happen when that day comes.

So far, Twin Peaks: The Return has been a rollercoaster ride across David Lynches twisted version of America. It is full of strange and often terrifying moments, but manages to retain that unique sense of humour to keep a nice balance in there. While it has answered some of the questions left with fans at the end of the second season, The Return has posed even more questions and mysteries to occupy our minds for the next few months. While Twin Peaks is undoubtedly back, it is still a gradual return, Lynch and Frost appear to be having a great time keeping us waiting for all of these major storylines to converge. However, it allows for the anticipation to build between each episode, leaving us hungry for more every week. Twin Peaks: The Return is terrifying, it's funny, it's downright bizzare. Instead of opting for a full on nostalgia trip, Lynch gradually feeds us small spoonfuls of nostalgia with each new episode, teasing us and leaving us wanting for more. Is it frustrating to watch? Yes. Is it satisfying? Most definitely. If the first four episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return are anything to go by, then we're in for a long, strange, and exciting summer.

'Alien: Covenant' Review

Around this time four years ago, I emerged from the cinema slightly confused and quite disappointed as I scratched my head, wondering what I had just watched. Of course, what I had just watched was Prometheus, the quasi-Alien-prequel that left most fans with a sour taste in their mouths, pondering whether or not director Ridley Scott would ever expand on what exactly happened in the film. Thus Alien: Covenant was born, a film that acts as part semi-follow up to Promethus and part semi-Alien origin story. Does it clear up Prometheus any better? Well, sort of. The film is not a direct continuation of Prometheus, rather a loose follow up that sees a ship full of unsuspecting colonists becoming immersed in this world of extra-terrestrial terror. It sees the return of Michael Fassbender's David, along with the debut of some new characters such as Walter (also Fassbender), a much more innocent android, and Katherine Watersons Daniels, the main protagonist. While the film is a lot more straightforward than its predecessor, Alien: Covenant is still heavily flawed and is not exactly the most fulfilling follow up.

The film begins with the crew of Covenant answering a distress signal on a mysterious planet that appears to be capable of sustaining life. As soon as the crew step foot onto this new world we are immersed in this beautifully gloomy environment full of jagged mountains, crystal lakes, and sprawling woodland. The visuals in Covenant are truly breathtaking, from the natural environment, to the fascinating, Giger-inspired production design, the world of Covenant feels entirely unique with an acute sense of familiarity for fans of the franchise. Scott proves that his direction is still second to none right from the first scene, he and cinematographer Darius Wolski create this visually stunning environment that encapsulates the audience as soon as the film begins. The visuals are by far one of Covenant's strongest points and allow the film to stand out among the rest of the franchise.

As soon as the crew begin to explore this lush new environment, the film reminds us of what made the first Alien so bloody scary. The first act is incredibly intense as the crew make their first close encounter, and it is full of truly nail biting moments that mirror those of the first film. My heart was racing during the films first act and for a while it looked as though it was set to match Alien in terms of thrills. However, the suspense is inconsistent and the majority of the second act feels a bit sluggish. While it does set about answering some of the questions posed in Prometheus and the events that followed, it lacks that sheer sense of terror from the first act. Although the action does pick up in the final act, the last 20 minutes or so almost feel like another film entirely, stapled on to Covenant to provide the audience with one last twist (a predictable one at that). It tries to balance all of these philosophical ideas and allusions to classical literature, with these B movie tropes that simply don't play off each other that well onscreen.

As for the characters in Covenant, the vast majority are just paper thin. Within the first few minutes we can already tell who the 'red shirts' are, and even some of those who make it to the latter half of the film are just too underdeveloped for anybody to care. Actors such as Demián Bichir and Billy Crudup feel somewhat wasted in their roles, which is such a shame as they are both very talented actors. Along with feeling very disposable, a lot of the characters make some truly awful decisions throughout such as wandering off alone and other actions reminiscent of an 80's slasher teen. It's moments like these when the film starts to feel more like a B movie than anything else. Not all of the characters are forgettable though, Katherine Waterson gives a powerful performance as the main protagonist Daniels, despite being a bit underused in the second act. Danny McBride also stands out as Tennessee who, despite a couple of comedic quips, manages to transcend his usual funnyman persona to take on a much more serious onscreen role. Of course, the real highlight was Michael Fassbender, in a dual role this time as androids Walter and David. The duo could not be any more different from each other, and Fassbender plays off an interesting dynamic between them both.

The main thing that most fans were looking forward to however, was the return of the beloved Xenomorph whose absence was wholly missed in Prometheus. It takes a while until they finally show up, but in the meantime we are treated to its equally terrifying predecessor the neomorph. The creature designs in Covenant are excellent, as to be expected from an Alien film, and the spine-busting neomorph was one of the highlights for me. While I was delighted to see the xenomorphs back again, I can't help but feel that a few practical effects wouldn't have gone amiss. While I understand that the CGI was necessary for the creature to move the way it did, there were several moments where practical effects could have been utilised nicely. The films environment just feels so natural that too much CGI can just feel out of place.

All in all, Alien: Covenant is a bit of a mixed bag. It tries to cross the suspense of Alien, with the action of Aliens, and the philosophical jargon of Prometheus, but these drastically different ideas don't always play off each other that well which causes the film to feel incredibly uneven. As well as that, aside from a few exceptions the majority of characters are underdeveloped and at times, act like teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake practically asking to be killed. While there are some strong performances, immaculate visuals, and countless easter eggs for fans of the franchise, the film ultimately feels dragged down by its drastic shifts in tone and paper thin characters. Is it an improvement over Prometheus? Most definitely. Is it what's best for the Alien franchise? Perhaps not. While I do think Ridley Scott is still a fantastic director, I'm not sure I quite agree with the direction he's taking this franchise. Maybe it's time Neill Blomkamp finally got to make his Alien movie.